Branquitude, território e eurodescendência: construções da subjetividade racial de pessoas brancas em Ponta Grossa/PR

Abstract

This doctoral thesis seeks to comprehend the subjective racial processes coming from immigration and European descent in the city of Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil, through intersectional lens, engaging with critical studies of whiteness and non-hegemonic knowledge. Whiteness, as a migratory flow within the racialization of subjective processes, is responsible for upholding the power dynamics established by the colonial system. These subjective processes manifest in the discourses, practices, and positions of individuals of European descent in general. In this context, the research's objective was to understand the ramifications of these immigration processes. Through a structured interview protocol consisting of 13 questions, five individuals of diverse European backgrounds were interviewed. Employing an intersectional methodology, the analysis was divided into two axes. In the first axis, titled "Whiteness and Territory: Colonial Legacies and Immigration," I share the collected interview materials, examining how whiteness operates within the bodies of Euro descent individuals in the specified locality. Attention is directed towards aspects that interconnect whiteness and territory, with interview questions focusing on understanding the history and memories of the interviewees. This section addresses the categories of immigration and Euro descent while elucidating the concepts of the whiteness pact and white supremacy as articulated within the discourses of the interviewees. In the second axis, "Whiteness in Action: Operating White Subjectivities," the intention is to further analyze the interview data, with a particular emphasis on the racial subjective processes of Euro descent white individuals, thus enhancing our comprehension of these processes and racism. Among the findings, it becomes evident that it is no longer possible to understand subjectivities and social structures without being aware of discussions encompassing, at the very minimum, race, gender, class, and sexuality.